About Open Access

Open Access (OA) is the practice of making research outputs freely available online so they can be read, downloaded and reused by anyone. It supports wider dissemination of knowledge, increases research visibility and impact, and aligns with the University’s commitment to open scholarship and equitable access to research.

The University defines OA as the public availability of research outputs through online distribution, including publication in OA journals or books, or deposit in an institutional or disciplinary repository. ResearchSpace is the University’s approved institutional repository and a key pathway for making research openly available.

Open Access:

• Removes subscription and paywall barriers
• Enables global access for students, researchers, practitioners and the public
• Promotes collaboration and faster knowledge sharing
• Supports innovation across disciplines
• Helps meet increasing national and international funder requirements

In traditional publishing, readers or institutions pay to access research, and authors often transfer copyright to publishers. In OA models, research is made freely available online. This may involve depositing an accepted manuscript in a repository or publishing in an OA journal. Some OA pathways involve article processing charges (APCs), while others do not.

The University’s OA policy:

• Requires accepted manuscripts to be uploaded to ResearchSpace
• Encourages the use of open licences, such as Creative Commons
• Supports publishing via open-access agreements where available
• Recommends depositing both accepted and published versions of work

These principles align with Taumata Teitei and the Research Data Management Policy, which support openness, collaboration and responsible sharing of research outputs and data.

OA allows authors to retain copyright and apply Creative Commons licences that clarify how others can use and share their work. This supports reuse, attribution and transparency while enabling research to reach broader and more diverse audiences.